When planning to set out on a long bike ride that might take you many hours or probably a whole day, it’s advisable that you pack essential items for a comfortable, interesting and successful trip. While some of these items are essential for keeping you in good condition, others are required to get your bicycle back on track if it suddenly breaks down.
In this article, we would like to draw your attention to the basic things you should always keep with you each time you’re on a long bike ride.
Personal Items and Things to Wear
If you are a woman, the first thing you need for your bike tour is one of the best bikes for women. On the other hand, if you are a man, you should consider having one of these men’s bicycles. And then you should consider other items that make your ride comfortable and safe.
While packing for a long bike ride, you readily know that you have to keep some clothing with you but what are the important items of clothing you should always pack for any day-long ride?
Obviously, you need to keep some socks and a pair of shoes with you. If you aren’t certain that the weather will be favorable all through your bike ride, do well to keep a light rain jacket with you. With this jacket, you can be sure your riding experience won’t be marred in case there are strong winds or there is a downpour. What more?
You need a pair of safety glasses or sunglasses to protect your eyes from specks of dust in case you’re riding on a dusty terrain. As for personal items, be sure you have a towel for ridding your body of sweat, a lip balm in case the weather is somewhat piercing and a sunscreen which you can apply to your skin and easily protect it from UV rays. It’s also a great idea that you keep your smartphone especially if you have important apps installed on it. Certain smartphone apps can show details of calories burned and the number of miles you cover per hour.
Things to Eat
Not only what to eat but also what to drink should be included in your packing list for a day-long ride. Include some energy drinks in your food items in case the weather is just too sunny and you need to reinvigorate your body. If your bike has several water bottle cages, this could be an opportunity for you to keep two or more water bottles with you. But if you aren’t comfortable with this idea, try to keep a hydration pack with you as you can easily drink from it while riding your bike. If you aren’t certain you’ll find enough food you can buy along your biking routes, make sure you have sufficient food to avoid a bad riding experience that might result from hunger.
Maintenance/Repair Kit
Especially during long rides, your bike can suddenly develop a mechanical fault but provided you’re keeping a repair/maintenance kit with you, nothing should stop you from fixing your bike when there is a break-down. Importantly, the kit should be packed with a folding multipurpose tool, tire levers, a spare inner tube, a mini pump, a patch kit, and certain other basic supplies.
Safety Gear
Your safety while on the road is very important and that’s why you may have to include a helmet in the item list you’re preparing for a day-long ride. For motorists as well as other cyclists to see you easily especially at night, you may have to equip your bicycle with a blinking light. Having reflective gear and clothing on you is another way you could draw people’s attention to your presence –precisely for the purpose of safety.
